Brass Knuckles and Lace
by Allanna Stone
Summary: Vanessa, the fearless and dangerous leader of the Queen's Knights, entered Jacob Frye's life with a bang…
1. Chapter 1

**Brass Knuckles and Lace**

 **I don't own Assassin's Creed.**

 **SUMMARY:**

 **Vanessa, the fearless and dangerous leader of the Queen's Knights, entered Jacob Frye's life with a bang…**

London, 1868

"The Queen's Knights?" scoffed Jacob. "What are they, a band of princesses in distress?"

"The Queen's Knights are no laughing matter, Mr. Frye," Henry responded in a serious tone. "They are the only gang in London who's strong and powerful enough to challenge the Blighters on a nightly basis."

"Tell us more," Evie urged the Indian assassin, who sighed and beckoned both twins further into his shop.

"The Queen's Knights are the most ruthless, cutthroat gang I've ever met," he began in a soft voice. "It was purely by chance we met four years ago, my first day in London…"

 _London, 1864_

 _The knife came flying out of nowhere and embedded itself into the skull of the Blighter who held Henry's arms behind his back. A small band of men in blue jackets with grey sashes appeared from the shadows and began to cut down the threat._

 _Someone jumped from the rooftop above and landed in front of Henry. All that he could make out was that they were short and wore a hood which covered most of their face._

" _Are you alright?" The gentle, lilting voice that came from their mouth threw him- he was excepting a low growl of a voice. Henry was speechless as they spun around and knocked over a beefy Blighter with just a single well aimed punch to the throat. The second they hit the ground, three other men, all garbed in blue and grey, pounced on him._

" _Here, let me look," urged the hooded person softly, taking Henry's face into their hands. After a quick examination, they let him go and tossed back their hood to survey the now dead Blighters._

" _Go now," they urged him without turning their back to face him._

London, 1868

"They operate under the cover of the moon," Henry was explaining to Evie and Jacob. "They're one with the shadows and can disappear into darkness."

Jacob snorted while Evie looked doubtful.

"From what you are describing, it sounds like the Queen's Knights are rogue assassins," she mused. "How does one find them?"

Henry chuckled.

"You don't find them, they find you," he informed the twins, who exchanged looks.

After a moment, Jacob spoke up.

"My Rooks can lure them out of hiding and we can join forces!" he cheered, narrowly avoiding the punch his sister aimed at him.

"You are not starting a gang called the Rooks!" she snapped exasperatedly.

Henry could sense the sibling fight brewing and before they could begin flinging insults at one another, he interrupted them.

"Mr. Frye, the best way to meet them is to get into a fight with Blighters. A lot of them. And make sure that it looks like you're vastly outnumbered," he butted in. "They only come to one's rescue if the sun is down, though."

"Perfect," Jacob smirked.

"Don't get any stupid ideas," Evie warned him as he turned to leave the curio shop.

Jacob looked wounded as he backed out and vanished into the shadows.

"Now, if I were a Queen's Knight, where would I hide?" he muttered as he began to prowl the streets, looking for a pocket of Blighters big enough for him to piss off. He glanced up and saw someone scurrying up and over onto the rooftop. "I wonder who is following me…"

He began to climb up the alleyway, abandoning his mission of drawing out the elusive gang and instead focused on getting up onto the roof.

"I wonder why it is you want my attention, Mr. Frye."

He jumped at the sultry voice, spinning around to find someone crouched near the edge. They stood and he realized that they were tiny in size.

"I think you'd make a great addition to my gang." He winced at how lame his words sounded.

A lilting chuckle escaped from their chest as they approached him.

"Do you know the first thing about being a gang leader, Mr. Frye?" they asked him as a hash cold breeze began to blow. "First, you need to establish dominance- show people that you're in charge. Second, you need to show that you're made of leader quality- to be a good leader, one needs to be a good follower. And third, you need loyal followers, be it people who owe you favors or close friends who always have your back."

"Anything else?" the younger twin asked nervously.

"Your gang needs to see that you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty. And if it helps, let them see you as you scrape your way up the ladder- it drills respect in people who watch others go for their goals and dreams." Her hood flew off in the wind, leaving Jacob speechless.

"I'm so much more than just a pretty face, Mr. Frye," she smirked.

"How do you know my name?" Jacob demanded to know.

"I have eyes and ears everywhere in London," was all that she offered, being so cryptic that Jacob knew he wouldn't get any sleep tonight.

Jacob growled as he grabbed her wrists and bought her in so that they were nose to nose, with him bending so that he could stare into her caerulean blue eyes.

"Have we met before?" he asked her as she stared back into his emerald green eyes.

"You mean you don't remember me?" she mocked him, her smirk growing into a small smile.

"It can't be…" Jacob whispered releasing her and stumbling back a few steps. "I saw Vanessa die before my very eyes all those years ago…"

"The fire resurrected me, in a way," she shrugged, kneeling next to Jacob and placing a hand onto his shoulder. "I missed you, Jacob-"

She was cut off by Jacob throwing his arms around her and tightly hugging her. Vanessa tensed up and closed her eyes as a shiver made its way down her body.

"How did you survive?" Jacob asked her, his voice muffled from his face being buried in her neck.

Vanessa laughed as she circled her arms around him.

"My mark risked his life for me, saying that guilt would haunt him until the day he died if he let me suffer," she sighed as her hands went to card his hair. "He gave his life for me."

Jacob huffed out a chuckle, pulling away to take in the girl standing before him.

"My God, you're beautiful," he murmured softly, his thumb stroking his cheek delicately as she smiled at him.

"I'm nothing like the other girls in Crawly you'd chase after," she told him in a hard voice, pulling away from him and going to the edge of the building, dangling her legs off the edge and sitting with her back to him.

"Vanessa." The hurt and confliction in his voice forced her to turn and face him. "I only went after those girls because I knew deep down, you wouldn't love me like I did- still do- I love you."

The silence was deafening.

"What?" croaked out Vanessa, stunned at his confession.

Jacob sat next to her and took her hand in his, forgetting how comical it was that her hands were so small and his were so huge.

"Pip," he started, using the nickname he gave her when they were just children. "I care deeply for you. I always have- ever since the first time I laid eyes on you. Remember that, Pip? It was your first day training as an assassin. Father was happy to have another pupil, Evie was thrilled to have another girl to giggle with and I was just… so in love with you from the very moment you walked into the room."

She did indeed remember that day.

 _Crawley, 1853_

 _Jacob felt his breath leave him in a faint_ _ **woosh**_ _and his heart began to pounding frantically much like a drum._

 _Vanessa Swan was without a doubt, the most perfect girl he had ever laid his eyes on. She was smaller than Evie, despite being the same age- six- and wore a pretty dress of blue cotton. Underneath, he could tell that she wore trousers and work boots, probably ready to get her hands dirty with training upon arrival. She carried a toy bear in one arm as she hovered next to her mother._

 _The boy scowled as Evie bounded up to her and began to ask questions. In no time, both were giggling as Vanessa left her mother's side for Evie's, and the two new friends began to make their way over to where Jacob was standing._

" _And this is my little brother, Jacob," Evie introduced them, much to the horror of Jacob and the amusement of Vanessa._

" _Only by four minutes!" he whined, his heart stuttering when Vanessa giggled. He took an instant liking to the sound and vowed to do everything in his power to get her to make that sound again. He took her hand and shook it, firmly but gently as not to crush her fingers._

" _Hi," she mumbled. "This is Berry." She presented her toy bear with all the bashfulness of a six year old girl interacting with a boy for the first time. Jacob shook Berry's paw, feeling silly for doing so, and judging by his sister's laugh, looking like a fool._

London, 1868

Vanessa stared at Jacob as he confessed his feelings for her. She didn't know whether she wanted to kiss him passionately and tell him that she cared deeply for him as well, or if she wanted to deck him for keeping his feelings all bottled up.

"I thought I lost you that night, Pip," Jacob murmured, her face in his hands.

Vanessa closed her eyes before jumping from the building and vanishing into the darkness.

" _ **PIP!**_ " Jacob's agonizing scream followed her as she ran away from her feelings.


	2. Chapter 2

**Brass Knuckles and Lace**

 **I don't own Assassin's Creed.**

 **SUMMARY:**

 **Vanessa, the fearless and dangerous leader of the Queen's Knights, entered Jacob Frye's life with a bang…**

London, 1868

Vanessa darted her way through the abandoned streets of London, her heart hammering in her chest as she fought to push away the boiling emotions that were threatening to cripple her.

 _I do care for him_ , she thought, pausing in an alleyway to catch her breath and wipe at the tears that were lingering in her tear ducts. _It's just that I don't think I'm capable of feeling the emotion that others call love._

 _Crawley, 1865_

 _It was supposed to be a simple kill._

 _Get in, kill the Templar, get out._

 _And don't get caught._

 _Vanessa had no clue that the lantern she had dropped had even started the fire. Her only focus was on finding the target and putting an end to him._

 _As she was passing under a burning beam, a loud creaking noise caught her attention. She glanced up and as though in slow motion, watched as the roof caved in on her. At the last possible moment, she was shielded by someone covered her body with theirs._

" _Go, now!" shouted her mark. "I know I've done unspeakable evils, maybe saving you will repent my sins."_

 _Vanessa stared at him for only a moment longer before she charged out of the burning house. In the distance, she saw someone running towards the burning structure, screaming loudly. She had to strain her ears to make out what they were crying._

" _ **PIP!**_ _"_

London, 1868

Vanessa shuddered from the memory as she made her way into the abandoned factory that she called home.

"It's the boss!"

"Look sharp lads, look sharp."

"Welcome back!"

Vanessa didn't need to look at her Knights to know that they had abandoned their poker game to stand and remove their hats when she stepped foot into their home.

"At ease, lads," she grunted, taking the rickety stairs two at a time to reach her office, located on a platform on the third floor where she could overlook everything that happened in her compound. She entered her office and fell onto her bed with a groan.

"Why are you back in my life?" she whispered, finally allowing for tears to run from her eyes. "I stayed away for your own good! Assassins aren't supposed to allow personal feelings to compromise with their missions!"

She stood and locked a scowl onto her target board, where there were detailed drawing s of assassination targets for her to kill, as well as other notes on how to retake London back from the Templars.

"Good luck with your little gang," she chuckled humorlessly before her eyes picked up on a key player who needed to be eliminated and soon.

"Redford Keylock," she murmured his name softly, a wicked grin splitting her face in two. "Get ready for the fight of your life, you bloody bastard."

~xoXox~

"Out with it, little brother."

Jacob didn't even fire off a snarky comment about how she was four minutes older than he was. That was got Evie worried.

"Do you remember Vanessa Swan?" he shocked her by asking.

"Vanessa Swan, that's a name I haven't heard in a long time," commented Evie, shutting the book she was reading.

"She's alive."

Evie spat out the tea that was in her mouth.

"Come again?" she wheezed, coughing. Henry patted her forcefully on the back a few times as he looked to Jacob for an explanation.

"Vanessa trained alongside of Evie and I when we were younger," Jacob told him. "I thought she died during a mission gone wrong… but she's here, in London."

"What is she doing in London?" mused Evie, remembering one time when she caught her little brother and best friend in the middle of a heated make out session.

"From what I gather, she's the leader of the Queen's Knights," Jacob informed her just as Evie took another mouthful of tea.

"What?" Evie gasped after Henry cleared her airways once more.

"I caught her tailing me and she told me that I don't have it cut out to be a gang leader," sulked the assassin, kicking his boots up onto the table and folding his arms.

"I agree with Vanessa," chuckled Evie, daring to take another sip of her tea. "I still remember her and Jacob sneaking out at night to go to gambling halls together."

Henry chuckled as he kicked Jacob's legs down from his table, all the while deep in thought.

"Swan, you say?" he suddenly spoke up. "Are her parents by any chance Killian and Emily Swan?"

Jacob and Evie exchanged looks and shrugged.

"She never talked about her parents to me," Evie confessed. Jacob confirmed that she didn't say much about her family to him either.

"Killian and Emily Swan were prominent Templars who were killed when Sterrick took power," Henry revealed. "They had a daughter, yes, but she disappeared immediately following their murder."

Jacob and Evie looked at each other.

"You're telling us that Vanessa is a Templar?" Jacob asked in shock

"I'm just saying, be on your guard," Henry warned.


	3. Chapter 3

**Brass Knuckles and Lace**

 **I don't own Assassin's Creed.**

 **SUMMARY:**

 **Vanessa, the fearless and dangerous leader of the Queen's Knights, entered Jacob Frye's life with a bang…**

London, 1868

The following day found Vanessa hard at work at the London Opera House, where she had a day job. She hummed a little song as she hauled some lumber onstage to begin constructing the massive set pieces for _Tosca_. She felt at home with the opera, having worked with the company for the past three years following her miraculous escape from the fire all those years ago.

She looked around her, making sure that no one was paying any attention to her before opening her mouth.

" _Who knows when love begins?_

 _Who knows what makes it start?_

 _One day it's simply there,_

 _Alive inside in your heart_

 _It slips into your thoughts_

 _It infiltrates your soul_

 _It takes you by surprise_

 _Then seizes full control_

 _Try to deny it_

 _And try to protest_

 _But love won't let you go_

 _Once you've been possessed"  
_

Vanessa was well aware that she was surrounded by people who appreicated a talented voice likes hers, but she still felt shy and self conscious about letting people know of what she was fully capable of.

As she sang, she wasn't aware that her voice grew louder until all work came to a halt as the other workers listened to her voice, leaning from over the fly tower and peering up out of the orchestra pit.

" _Love never dies_

 _Love never falters_

 _Once it has spoken_

 _Love is yours_

 _Love never fades_

 _Love never alters_

 _Hearts may get broken_

 _Love endures…_ "

Vanessa broke off mid song as a red stain took control of her cheeks.

"I apologize, _maestro_ ," she said to the conductor who had just walked in with all his notes in disarray.

"You have a lovely voice," he smiled. "Go on then! Sing the rest of the song, my dear!"

Vanessa chuckled and tried not to focus on the many people who were watching her. Her throat tightened and she could not squeak out another note. she turned a deeper red and continued on with her work of bringing in the lumber.

As she worked, she found her mind wandering to her childhood sweetheart, Jacob Frye. He had changed since she had seen him last- the scars on his eyebrow and cheek were new, as well as the face stubble. Still, she couldn't deny the attraction she felt towards him, despite having sworn herself from falling for any man.

 _It's been over three years_ , she berated herself as she hoisted some boards over her shoulder. _It seems as though he only grows more attractive as the years go by_ … She turned a deeper shade of red as she remembered how handsome Jacob was the night before.

 _Crawley, 1865_

 _Vanessa grunted as she threw her weight into the punch, breaking the jaw of her opponent._

" _Yeah, Pip!" cheered Jacob as she pumped her fist up into the air, claiming the title of the victor for the night's fight club._

 _She didn't know when it all started- when Jacob went from being a good friend who would help her sneak out at night so that they could have some fun to being a handsome eighteen year old lad. One day, she was just 'Pip', the next day she was called 'love', and she didn't know what to make of it._

" _Come on, I have that mission tomorrow," she grunted as she jumped out of the ring and sauntered her way over to him, where she slung her jacket over one shoulder before leaving the fight club._

London, 1868

Jacob growled as he killed a Blighter. He was disgusted by the working conditions of the child powered factory, and had set his mind on liberating every last child.

He turned around to head back up the stairs to free the last of the child workers when a soft whisper made him halt where he stood.

"Come with us, quickly now!"

Jacob rushed up the stairs and froze when he saw three men in blue jackets with grey sashes picking up the now liberated children and heading over to the window.

" _ **OI!**_ " bellowed Jacob, catching the attention of everyone within a four block radius. He was unaware that someone was in the beams above him until he was flat on the ground with a familiar weight straddling him.

"I'll take it from here, lads!" called out a voice that he recognized all too well.

"Pip?" he asked, tugging down her hood to reveal her lovely face.

"Hello, Jacob," she smiled tiredly at him rolling her neck and getting a loud _**CRICK**_ out of it.

Jacob could only stare up at her with love and wonder on his face as he reached up to trace the outline of her jaw with the back of his hand. She flinched back, not used to being touched in such a gentle fashion and Jacob sat up, crushing her to his chest.

"Pip," he murmured softly, inhaling her scent of cinnamon, roses and chocolate, committing it to memory. He felt Vanessa's hands on his chest and suddenly, she pushed him away. She crouched in front of him, a heartbroken look on her face.

"Jacob, please don't," she whispered in a broken voice as Jacob knelt in front of her, taking her delicate face into his rough hands. "I cannot afford to be vulnerable, not in front of my Knights."

"Well, they aren't here now," he huffed, leaning his forehead against hers.

She chuckled dryly at his comment before nuzzling herself into his body.

"I missed you, Pip," Jacob murmured softly, kissing her forehead softly. When she didn't squirm away, he dared to brush his lips against hers before engaging her in a passionate liplock.

Vanessa closed her eyes as she finally allowed for her feelings for him to escape through the kiss. She had always found him as being attractive, even during his awkward teenaged years, but it wasn't before he had risked his life to save her during a joint mission when they were both eighteen, a few days before she supposedly died, that she told him her biggest lie.

That she didn't love him.

Clearly, Jacob didn't remember that moment when she broke his heart, judging by the fact that he was still kissing her. She then realized with a jolt that his hands were wondering from her shoulders down her back.

She broke away with a quiet gasp, scrambling up and heading over to the window to leave, but Jacob grabbed her again.

"Pip, please look at me," he begged her. She turned and met his eyes, which held hope, love and hurt. "Was it something I did?"

"I still remember how you'd flirt with everything that had a skirt back in Crawely." Her voice came out sounding harsher than she intended it to. Before she could even give him a chance to respond, she turned and jumped out the window.


	4. Chapter 4

**Brass Knuckles and Lace**

 **I don't own Assassin's Creed.**

 **SUMMARY:**

 **Vanessa, the fearless and dangerous leader of the Queen's Knights, entered Jacob Frye's life with a bang…**

London, 1868

Vanessa waved a greeting to the people in the fight club. It was two weeks after Jacob had ignited a fiery passion in her with just a kiss and that seemed to be all the motivation that he needed to start up his gang.

"The Rooks," she scoffed at the name as she nodded to Mr. Toppings, who winked at her. She scowled also at his advances and turned her attention onto the ongoing fight in the arena, wincing as a punch sent three teeth flying from one man's mouth.

"Who will challenge him?" Mr. Toppings roared as Vanessa stood and climbed up into the fighting circle, a fierce scowl on her face.

She nearly fainted when she saw who she would be facing.

"Bloody fucking hell," she growled as she circled around Jacob Frye, who was staring at her with shock in his eyes before she charged at him.

Clearly, Jacob refused to swing a punch at her as she swiftly knocked him onto his back. Just as she was going to knock him out, he pulled a maneuver that she didn't see coming. She was on her back with him straddling her. Vanessa hissed and spat as she tried every trick in the book to try and get him off of her.

And then an idea struck her.

"Ow!" she whimpered softly, purposely dislocating her shoulder with a loud _**POP**_. Jacob's eyes widen and he backed off.

His mistake.

Vanessa swung a punch at his nose, fixing her arm with the same fluid motion. She squealed in surprise as he caught her fist and wrapped his arm around her neck in a choke hold.

"I'm sorry," were that last words she heard him say before she blacked out.

 _London, 1865_

" _Drop the girl, and leave," Vanessa advised the Blighter. She had been in London for barely even ten minutes and already she wanted to maim every Blighter she happened upon._

 _When the bully ignored her, she sighed and threw one of her knives at him. The deadly weapon embedded itself into the back of his skull, where he fell at the girl's feet, dead._

" _I'm sorry you had to witness that," Vanessa apologized sincerely as she moved forward and yanked her weapon from his head, barley even flinching at the brain matter and blood that came with the weapon. She wiped the blade onto his jacket before turning to face the trembling child._

" _Can you teach me?" she asked in wonder._

" _Teach you what?" Vanessa asked, confused as the little girl came forward and poked at her jacket, uncovered Vanessa's hidden weapons._

" _How to throw knives?" she asked hopefully._

 _Vanessa chuckled as she bent down so that she was at eye level with the ten year old girl._

" _Of course," she smiled kindly. "But what do I get out of it?"_

" _What do you want?" she asked boldly._

" _A roof over my head would be an excellent start," Vanessa answered, chuckling as the child began to lead the assassin back to her home._

" _I'm Daisy," the child introduced herself with a smile._

" _Call me Pip," Vanessa responded, feeling a wave of pain pierce her heart._

London, 1868

Jacob carefully cradled Vanessa in his arms as he entered his car, silently cursing the fact that Evie had the only bed on the train.

 _Note to self, ask Agnes to buy some more beds_ , he thought to himself as he rested her onto the couch where he slept. He fumbled for the medical kit that Evie had stashed in her desk and returned to find Vanessa had rolled over, displaying the back of her blouse. Jacob could tell that it was the same blouse she wore when he had last seen her, three years ago.

"I'm sorry, Vanessa," he murmured softly as he carefully wiped away the blood on her knuckles. After he finished cleaning her up, he decided to remove her jacket for her and cover her up with a blanket. He couldn't help but notice scars that marked her arms. Angry red welts and divot-like valleys crisscrossed over her creamy skin, making Jacob run his fingers along a scar. He noticed that the scar he was tracing reached from her right elbow and stopped at her wrist. He couldn't help but wonder how she came across having it.

Vanessa rolled over with a soft moan, snapping Jacob from his thoughts. He carefully draped a blanket over her petite frame and sat in Evie's desk chair to watch over her. He smiled as he watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful and innocent, the opposite of who she was when she was awake. He took in everything about her- the way she breathed, the way her dark scarlet curls fanned out around her head, the way her fists were clenching the blanket.

Jacob smiled and stood, intending to sit and place her head into his lap so that he could finger comb her soft curls. When Jacob got close enough, Vanessa lashed out and grabbed a hold of his wrist, twisting violently and rolled her body in the direction of the twist. The man let out a yelp of surprise, but it was too late- the girl had him in an incapacitated chicken wing lock.

Jacob's scream had been loud enough to summoned Evie and Henry, both who burst into the car with their weapons drawn.

"Evie, help?" Jacob called out feebly from his position.

The eldest twin chuckled at her brother's predicament as she resheathed her hidden blade and folded her arms with an amused smile on her face.

"Are you really that stupid? I told you to leave me alone!" hissed Vanessa exasperatedly.

"No you didn't- _**OW!**_ " yelped Jacob as she twisted his arm a bit more.

"Vanessa, why don't you let Jacob up?" Evie asked, amusement in her voice.

"Sure thing," she responded with a sweet smile before violently pushing Jacob off of the couch and onto the floor just as the train went around a sharp corner. The man tumbled into a corner, where he hit his head on the bookshelf that held all of Evie's books.

"Are you alright?" Evie asked, noticing her scarred arms for the first time as Vanessa stretched her limbs.

"Just peachy," she quipped, standing. Vanessa winced slightly as she moved her shoulder, batting away Jacob who jumped at her groan of pain. "And you?"

Evie could only stare at her friend, the friend who she had thought died three years ago as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh God, not you too-" Vanessa was cut off by Evie flinging herself at the smaller girl, nearly knocking her over. "Uh… help?"

Henry chuckled at her cry for help as he crossed the room and gently pried the sobbing assassin off of Vanessa, who looked extremely uncomfortable and hurried to put as much distance between the crying woman and herself as possible.


End file.
